Pruning the Rotten Apples

A successful personal relationship must follow the 5:1 rule: for every unpleasant interaction, at least five positive interactions are needed to offset the negative one, says Stanford Professor and author Bob Sutton. Research in the workplace also shows that just one rotten apple – or someone who repeatedly proves to be selfish – can be contagion that severely reduces overall team performance. These contagions must be removed for the health and longevity of the team.